Shloka 4
Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
अवसं वै ब्राह्मणच्छगनाहं रामे पुरा दिव्यमस्त्रं चिकीर्षु: तत्रापि मे देवराजेन विध्नो हितार्थिना फाल्गुनस्यैव शल्य,'पूर्वकालकी बात है, मैं दिव्य अस्त्रोंको प्राप्त करनेकी इच्छासे ब्राह्मणका वेष बनाकर परशुरामजीके पास रहता था। शल्य! वहाँ भी अर्जुनका ही हित चाहनेवाले देवराज इन्द्रने मेरे कार्यमें विघ्न उपस्थित कर दिया था। एक दिन गुरुदेव मेरी जाँघपर अपना मस्तक रखकर सो गये थे। उस समय इन्द्रने एक कीडेके भयंकर शरीरमें प्रवेश करके मेरी जाँघके पास आकर उसे काट लिया, काटकर उसमें भारी घाव कर दिया और इस कार्यके द्वारा इन्होंने मेरे मनोरथमें विध्न डाल दिया
sañjaya uvāca | avasaṃ vai brāhmaṇacchaganāhaṃ rāme purā divyam astraṃ cikīrṣuḥ | tatrāpi me devarājena vidhno hitārthinā phālgunasyaiva śalya ||
Sanjaya said: Long ago, desiring to obtain divine weapons, I lived with Rama (Parashurama) in the guise of a Brahmin. Even there, O Shalya, Indra—the king of the gods—who sought only the welfare of Phalguna (Arjuna), placed an obstacle in my undertaking. (Thus, the gods themselves intervened to protect Arjuna’s destined advantage, frustrating my pursuit through deception.)
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how personal ambition pursued through deception (a false Brahmin identity) becomes vulnerable to moral and cosmic checks: divine powers may intervene to uphold a larger dharmic balance and protect a destined order (here, Arjuna’s advantage), showing that ends do not fully justify unethical means.
Sanjaya recounts an earlier episode: Karna, seeking celestial weapons, stayed with Parashurama disguised as a Brahmin. Indra, intent on Arjuna’s welfare, created an impediment to Karna’s aim—setting up the later incident (expanded in the surrounding passage) that leads to Karna’s setback in acquiring or retaining those weapons.